Swanbourne Road Convent of Mercy, Sheffield, 1981-2010
Scope and Contents
Consists of a few records accumulated by the Sisters of Mercy of Swanbourne Road Convent of Mercy. Includes records of church, local and national events affecting the Sisters as recorded in the annals, and photographs.
Dates
- Creation: 1981-2010
Conditions Governing Access note
As a private archive, access to the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy Archive requires application to the Archivist and approval by the Institute's Leadership Team. Where items are closed for access, this is indicated at the appropriate level.
Biographical / Historical
As membership was decreasing in the 1970s, the painful decision was made to let go of Burngreave Road Convent of Mercy, Sheffield, which had become too large for the Community. Having finally taken that decision, the search commenced for small premises conveniently situated for the continuation of the apostolates in which the Sisters were involved, and which could be adapted for a Religious community.
In the event, two houses were selected as meeting the requirements, one in Swanbourne Road – St Patrick’s Parish – where Sisters were already teaching, and the other in Taptonville Crescent - St Vincent de Paul’s Parish - within walking distance of the Claremont Hospital. Some time was needed for extension and modification in both houses, with St Patrick’s Parish house being ready for occupation in 1981, and St Vincent’s Parish house in the following year.
On the 28th August 1981, Sr M Pauline O’Leary and two companions, both of whom were Assistant Teachers in St Patrick’s School (close to the Convent), took residence in what was already familiar territory. Early in 1983 they were joined by two more Sisters, bringing the Community up to its most comfortable size, accommodation-wise. Like other Sheffield houses, that in Swanbourne Road became a separate unit of the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy, established in 1983.
The first Mass in the Convent was celebrated by the Parish Priest, Fr. M. Daly on September 16th, the Sisters from Burngreave Road sharing in the celebration. It was an occasion which evoked memories of wartime Sheffield when the Sisters were, for a time, obliged to leave Burngreave Road to find refuge in Mylnhurst and make the long walk daily to school in St Patrick’s Parish. They were truly Walking Nuns, as the exercise continued throughout the day, because some classes were conducted in the homes of generous parents, as the school premises were shared with Red Cap School.
Memories provide continuity, but the new Community lived very much in the present and soon had their apostolic programme formulated. The convent closed in 2010.
[Text from the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy website http://www.ourladyofmercy.org.uk/whereweare/dsp-default.cfm?loadref=187, accessed 05 December 2012]
Full Extent
1 box
Language of Materials
From the Fonds: English
Arrangement
Arranged in chronological order.
Other Finding Aids
Where applicable, accession numbers have been recorded within the Repository Processing Note at file and/or item level.
Custodial History
The annals of Swanbourne Road Convent of Mercy, Sheffield were collated by Sister M. John Langan RSM, with the other records also possibly having been collected by her. The records of the community have been catalogued separately from its founding house, Burngreave Road Convent, as the community became independent under the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy (formed 1983) and Burngreave Road closed at the new convent opened.
Accruals
Further accruals may be anticipated from former Community members as the house closed only recently in 2010.
Repository Details
Part of the Bermondsey Convent of Mercy Repository